Save The Bay’s 2019 calendar is officially here! Thank you to everyone who participated in our photo contest and contributed to a truly inspiring and breathtaking collection of photos. It was no easy task, but after hundreds of submissions and much deliberation, the 12 calendar winners have been selected. Jay Huang’s Blue Hour Fog received the most votes on Facebook, winning the People’s Choice Award to make the calendar cover.

The calendar offers a daily reminder of why we work so hard to protect the beautiful Bay we share. Each photo tells a different story of Bay appreciation, and we hope they inspire you as much as they inspire us. We reached out to some featured photographers to ask why they cherish the Bay and what inspired their incredible shots:

“Kayacking in Richardson’s Bay always changes my perspective, and sometimes it seems the birds and seals love the bay as much as I do.” – Jen Gennari: (jengennari.com)

“If it wasn’t for the Bay’s beauty, I never would have started out as a photographer. There aren’t very many major metropolitan areas where you can photograph a dozen different bird species, including a bald eagle, in a single afternoon. When I learned how close we came to losing this natural treasure in the ’60s, I wanted to do my part to support the Bay’s conservation today – so I’m thrilled to be a part of this year’s calendar!” – Colin Neikirk: (ccneikirk.myportfolio.com)

“The ever-changing San Francisco bay offers up a plethora of fascinating landscapes, from shoreline flora and fauna to grand vistas from atop its distant peaks. It is truly a nature lover’s dream.” – Mike Oria: (mikeoria.com)

“As the chilly morning fog hugs to the golden city, I click the photo integrating myself into the beautiful bay.” – Jay Huang: (Check out his Flickr)

“I’ve lived around the bay all my life. Whenever I seek stability I find myself along her shores. As stable as a crab against a wave.” – Sean Peck

“Without a doubt my favorite part of being a photographer in the SF Bay Area is chasing the magical and ethereal fog around and discovering new viewpoints from all the various mountaintops of this amazing place. There is a beautiful mixture of nature and urban life to behold here.” – Vincent James: (vincentjames.net)

Photographer Susie Kelly hopes her work inspires people to “preserve the Bay for the other species that live here,” and to “slow down and appreciate the beauty around us.”

Again, we extend a big thank you to every member of the community who submitted their Bay photos, and congratulations to our finalists! We hope the calendar reminds you why you love the Bay and inspires you to join our efforts to protect and restore our shorelines.

Congratulations to our 2017 Calendar Cover Photo Winner, Andrew Carothers-Liske, with this stunning photo of a Western Burrowing Owl.

Three fun facts about Western Burrowing Owls:

Western Burrowing Owls live in abandoned rodent holes, previously occupied by fossorial mammals such as prairie dogs and ground squirrels. They are primarily found in open space with short vegetation and were once a common sight around San Francisco Bay but as of late have been pushed to the brink of extinction by habitat destruction.

The Burrowing Owl population has been steadily declining for many years due to prairie dog and ground squirrel control programs, and habitat loss due to land conversions for agricultural and urban development.

Unlike most owls, Burrowing Owls are extremely active during the day. They are often seen gathering food for their large broods, perching near their burrows or bobbing in and out of their burrows.

I am thrilled to share with you the 2017 Save The Bay calendar! A huge thank you goes to our volunteer photographers who have generously donated their stunning Bay images to our Calendar Photo Contest. These unparalleled and spectacular photos are spotlighted in the 2017 Save The Bay Calendar and serve as a monthly reminder of the importance of protecting and restoring the San Francisco Bay.

The breathtaking photos inside the 2017 calendar pay tribute to one of the remarkable women who started it all—Sylvia McLaughlin. Sylvia joined with Esther Gulick and Kay Kerr more than 50 years ago to co-found Save The Bay.

Today, Sylvia’s legacy inspires us to tackle the new challenges facing our Bay. So I hope you’ll hang your calendar somewhere special where it can inspire you and serve as a daily reminder of the Bay treasures you are helping to save. The beautiful Bay we work to save is still under constant threat–from toxic Styrofoam, plastic bags, cigarette butts, and polluted runoff.

Your gift of just $25 or more will help restore pivotal shoreline habitat, prevent pollution from entering our Bay, lead the way for Bay Smart communities, and so much more. As a special thank you, we will send you the beautiful 2017 Save The Bay Calendar to remind you of the beauty your donation is helping to save.

The subject matter:
Your submissions may include landscapes, wildlife, or recreation on the Bay; they can focus on open water, shoreline, or tidal marsh—from San Jose to Sonoma and anywhere in between. All we ask is that your photo connects with Save The Bay’s mission to protect, restore, and celebrate San Francisco Bay.

What’s in it for you:The fame and glory of potentially having your photo published! And knowing that you contributed your photo to helping protect and restore our Bay. Along with copies of the calendar, featured photographers will receive a Save The Bay t-shirt, tote bag, a prize of $50, and cool gear from our friends at REI!

The technical aspects:All photos should be landscape orientation and should be 3300 x 2500 pixels or larger. Please see terms and conditions outlined on our webpage. All photos must be submitted by April 15, 2016 for consideration.

How do we choose the winners?:
After the April 15, 2016 submission deadline, Save The Bay staff will select the top twelve photos that will be featured in the 2017 calendar. But, we still need your help in deciding which photo will grace the cover!

Phase two of our contest will take place on our Facebook page. Each day we will post one of the twelve photos on social media. Your Facebook likes, wows, and loves will all be counted as YES votes. The photo with the most combined votes wins. We will announce the cover photo winner May 1, 2016.

Thank you to everyone who submitted photographs to our 2016 Save The Bay Calendar contest sharing with us their unique perspectives on our Bay. We had an amazing 194 photographers submit photos ranging from landscapes highlighting Chrissy Field and McLaughlin Eastshore State Park to photos featuring birds including the Long Billed Curlew and Marbled Godwits.

I’m pleased to share the winners of the 2016 Calendar Photo Contest. These photos highlight the unique, inspiring and strikingly beautiful images of San Francisco Bay. Each one of these pictures reminds me why I’m passionate about protecting, restoring and celebrating San Francisco Bay.

The Votes Are In:

Since May 19th, votes have been coming in via our Facebook page on who will be the People’s Choice Award. Hundreds of people voted for the cover shot of the 2016 Save The Bay calendar. Our fans have spoken! Congratulations to Mike Oria and his photo “Sunrise from Sausalito” for winning the People’s Choice Award.

Sunrise from Sausalito, California. Photo by: Mike Oria

The team and I will be working to produce the 2016 Save The Bay calendar in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned from an update from me when the calendars are ready to be unveiled.

Many thanks again to all the generous and talented photographers who entered this year’s Calendar Photo Contest. Thank you all for helping to visually tell the story of why our Bay is so important!